Stone Island is a brand that I think a lot of readers overlook – I certainly did for a long time.

Yet the heritage of ‘form through function’ and reworking traditional clothing is similar to a lot of other brands we cover. You also find that a lot of people in classic menswear respect the founder, Massimo Osti and his work tremendously, particularly the attitude to innovation and product development. 

We’ll return to the history at some point I think, as there are a lot of interesting points around the way Osti worked, his approach to materials, and even the marketing – he famously didn’t use models and wanted everything to be centred around the product. 

Before that I thought it would be good to talk about some products, as I know it’s always the question at the back of a reader’s mind when they’re read the deeper-dive, background pieces. (OK that’s all great, but what can I buy right now?)

I’ve actually wanted to cover Stone Island for a while, but was spurred to recently by the Marina collection, as I think it could particularly appeal to readers. Most don’t have the distinctive patch on the sleeve, there’s some really interesting colour, and it’s rooted in that very classic menswear pursuit, sailing. 

Here are five pieces I’d highlight. 

1 Cotton/nylon down jacket

£915

We’re used to seeing down jackets in interesting colours from the likes of Rocky Mountain Featherbed or Nigel Cabourn, so the bright blue isn’t that unusual – even though it’s not necessarily what readers would expect from Stone Island. 

But what you get on top of that from a brand like this is modern styling and more unusual design. The neckline on this Stone Island jacket, for example, is a nice single line of canvas tape that runs seamlessly into the hood – it rolls open pleasingly and makes the piece feel more like sportswear, which is of course it is. The more obvious design addition is the quick-release buckle on the waist, but that’s also very functional. 

Stone Island uses a lot of natural materials, and often where you’d expect nylon from someone else, you’ll find a cotton mix (which is of course the traditional fabric for down jackets like this). That’s the outer material is here and it feels great. 

2 Felted wool jacket

£980

This is a nice example of fabric innovation. The outer material is a felted mix of 75% wool and 25% polyester, and it has a perforated membrane of the kind used in sportswear to separate wet materials and aid breathability. But unlike most sports pieces, it’s mostly wool on the outside which gives it a natural feel. 

The more unusual design aspect is a rubberised collar that feels like it’s come from scuba gear. This isn’t just a gimmick though – it’s comfortable to wear and practical for against wind and water. There’s a version with a hood in the same material too, but I like this option. 

The colours are really nice by the way – dark, rich brown with an ultramarine accent in the branding, then a navy option with that same ultramarine. Quite a lot of the higher-end pieces from Stone Island are in menswear colours like this – the Ghost line, for instance, is a lot of dark brown, navy and khaki, unlike the black and more synthetic colours you usually get from sportswear brands.

3 Cotton fleece half-zip

£360

You know that kind of loose, comfy sweater you see sold by sailing and skiing brands? A cheap one from Fat Face is very weekend Dad wear. Well this is that, but higher end. 

The brushed, organic cotton is a perfect mix of the substantial and super-soft. The fit is a little long, a little slouchy. Like quite a few Stone Island pieces, the zip is plastic but that’s deliberate, it’s still high quality and it goes with the sporty aesthetic. You wouldn’t want metal here. 

I know there are readers who won’t want any branding or logo on the outside, but it does feel more fitting with sportswear. Like the logoed sweats Rubato did a while back. 

4 Cotton chenille jumper

£670

Stone Island is best known for outerwear and knitwear, and those are certainly the most interesting categories.

Outerwear gets more attention, but the quality and the attention to detail on the knitwear is really high. Even regular crewnecks will have subtle stitch variations or wider fashioning that add a little design touch – and this jumper is subtly unusual. 

It’s 100% cotton but using a chenille yarn, which gives it the appearance of a heritage knit but with a lots of texture and a smooth touch. I’ve been looking for mock-neck cream knits like this for a while, but Purple Label ones often have synthetic yarn in them these days, disappointingly, and brands like Loro Piana have hugely increased in price. This is, perhaps unexpectedly, a very cool option. 

Another example of this knit of knitwear is in the Raw Beauty collection. Rather more expensive, but lovely natural variation in the cotton and nice, slightly raw seams. It was launched a year or so ago and uses mostly recycled yarns from the factory. 

5 Canvas field jacket

£875

This is a nice piece to compare to more classic menswear brands. Lots of Italians, such as Aspesi, do a weekend field jacket and might have both a synthetic and a cotton option. But this version from Stone Island is nicer, more unusual, and not dissimilar in price. 

The material is an organic cotton, but the jacket is garment dyed which is what gives it that soft, washed appearance. Stone Island were always known for their garment dyeing, and it’s still something that sets them apart. For a sportswear brand it often gives them a more vintage aesthetic, which sits nicely alongside the quality and natural-fibre points.

Stone Island are of course now owned by Moncler, and the other major Osti brand, CP Company, is the one still connected to the family. But Stone Island is a higher level generally and more interesting for the PS reader I think. The comparison with Moncler also shows how a brand like that would be too fashion-driven for me; Stone Island is a good point in between the two. 

When we visited the London store we tried on absolutely everything, and it was a genuinely exciting experience – a feeling I haven’t had in a while, to be honest. There’s something exhilarating about discovering great product at a brand you don’t know that well, and which has a sufficiently different aesthetic to feel you’re looking at all everything slightly differently.

The images above and below here, and the ones at the top of the article, are of other pieces from the Marina collection. I could have written about most of them – the one above shows how that neckline works on that gilet and on the blue down jacket.